The Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots played on Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany, and the Colts just almost won.
After an ugly 10-6 victory over the Bill Belichick-led New England Patriots, who now have an unprecedented 2-8 record, the Indianapolis Colts go to their Week 11 bye with an even 5-5 record.
Even while the offense didn’t always look great, they were able to make the crucial plays when they counted most. The Patriots’ already faltering offense would be silenced by the Colts’ formidable defense, even though the latter had several momentum changes in their favor during the game.
Now that the historic rivalry has settled, let’s examine the positive and negative aspects of the Colts’ thrilling victory on the other side of the Atlantic.
The Good: Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor, the running back for the Colts, was just extended, thus he took up the rushing duties for the game. He would end up with 23 touches for 69 rushing yards (3.0 average) and the game’s lone touchdown on either side of the ball.
The three yards per run highlights the fact that the offensive line did falter at times. But Taylor proved in this game that he will probably take over at the backfield, as Zack Moss was limited to only one carry for two rush yards.
To close off the 2023 season, Shane Steichen is likely to keep depending on the 2021 rushing champion to lead the offense following the bye week.
The Bad: Gardner Minshew
If quarterback Gardner Minshew had a few outstanding plays but mostly had limitations, running back Taylor showed tenacity in a hard-fought victory. He completed 18 of his 28 passes for 194 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception.
This season, Minshew has battled with turnovers, and that difficulty carried over into a game where field position and points were at an all-time high premium. Instead of scurrying for three or five yards, he would toss a terrible interception to Patriots CB Myles Bryant in the center of the field.
However, a few outstanding plays that demonstrated Minshew’s height-of-pocket presence deserve recognition.
The one that stood out the most was a beautiful diving catch from rookie wide receiver Josh Downs that came from Minshew’s pass after he danced around Patriots defenders to deliver a meteoric dart, which turned out to be a crucial play in the decision of the game.
Minshew will need to improve as a possession manager in the final seven games of the Colts schedule if they hope to sneak into the postseason, even with this spectacular pass to their wide receiver. He just cannot continue this turnover pattern if they want to reach their objective.
The Good: Pass Rush
Because Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was going to be facing the Colts all day, New England decided to go with a run-heavy game plan in the second half. However, the Colts were playing at an absurd speed in the first half.
Protective end Jones would be sackt three times in the first half alone by Dayo Odeyingbo. Indy would wind up with five sacks for the day thanks to the efforts of fellow defensive ends Tyquan Lewis and Kwity Paye.
With six sacks thus far this season, Odeyingbo leads the club in this area. We’ll see if the former second-round pick and the rest of Indianapolis’ formidable defensive unit can keep wreaking havoc.
The Bad: Run Defense
Because Jones has a lot of turnovers and there isn’t enough receiver depth at receiver, the Patriots did their best to keep the ball on the ground. Both Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott gave strong performances, so they were really successful. See the metrics below.
- Stevenson: 20 carries; 88 rushing yards (4.4 avg)
- Elliott: 13 carries; 54 rushing yards (4.2 avg)
In the end, the Patriots would end up with 167 total yards, including 25 yards from Jones on the ground.
The Patriots and the already-defeated Carolina Panthers are probably the worst teams on the schedule, despite Indianapolis having a more lenient schedule to complete the season. When Grover Stewart becomes eligible to return, it will be fantastic for the Colts and will help the inside run defense a lot.
The Good: Michael Pittman Jr.
Passing yards appeared to be an expensive taste in this game, but Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. was still leading the receiving charge.
He would haul in eight receptions for 84 receiving yards (10.5 average) on 12 targets. Isaiah McKenzie, a fellow receiver with four receptions for 31 receiving yards (7.8 average), came in next closest.
For the Colts to finish the 2023 season, Pittman will remain an underappreciated and unnoticed constant throughout the league, even after Downs resumes his full snap count.
The Bad: Kylen Granson
It’s really hard to evaluate any receiver performance when an offense plays as rough as Indianapolis’ did against the Patriots. Nonetheless, tight end Kylen Granson had an opportunity to play a significant role in Minshew’s advancements because tight end Drew Ogletree was unable to attend the game due to an injury, and receiver Downs was limited because of his recuperation from a knee ailment.
Still, he would be targeted twice with a five-yard reception. In the second quarter, Granson mistimed a wide-open pass from Minshew to him on the left sideline, costing him a huge play downfield. Granson could have gained a lot of ground with this play because of his speed.
Overall, the tight ends have performed admirably, if not exceptionally. Granson had a strong start to the 2023 season, but he has since dropped off a precipice. He will want to recover from the bye week, as the Indianapolis offense will be depending on him to regain the momentum he had early in the season.
